Public transit systems have long accepted cash or metal tokens, sometimes received by unattended mechanical turnstiles, to control entry into the system. Increasingly, such transit systems are using machine-readable tickets or "farecards" encoded with a fare balance, which is debited by the appropriate fare as the user enters and/or exits the transit system.
The farecards have several advantages over metal tokens. They are lighter in weight, difficult to forge, can be used by the traveler for a large number of trips without replenishment, and make it possible to increase revenue and fairly allocate costs by dynamically varying the charge for a trip, based on distance traveled, peak/off peak travel times, etc. However, farecards are still "tokens" in the sense that they are a physical artifact that must be carried by the transit user to access the system. Further, these tickets typically wear out rapidly and it is a challenge to provide these tickets in a form that is durable enough to withstand normal use, yet not prohibitively expensive. Thus, for several reasons it would be desirable if artifacts such as farecards and tokens could be substantially eliminated from the process of controlling access to the transit system.
Airlines similarly depend on tickets to determine who will be allowed to board an aircraft. Unauthorized resale of tickets and security concerns about allowing unidentified persons on board an aircraft has recently led the Federal Aviation Administration, and airlines, to require that passengers show identification when checking in, in addition to a ticket.
Access to sporting and cultural events held in stadiums, concert halls, and the like is normally obtained by purchasing a ticket which is then shown to obtain admission. Reliance on a ticket "artifact" as the sole arbiter of admission leads to an aftermarket for tickets, which may pass through many hands before they reach a person who actually wishes to attend the event. Although ticket "scalping" is illegal in many jurisdictions, popular events often sell out quickly. Scalpers create an artificial scarcity by purchasing all the available tickets with the intent of reselling them. Thus, persons with an actual interest in attending an event may have no alternative to purchasing tickets from a reseller of unknown reputation, and at an inflated price.
To the extent the ticket resellers create an artificial scarcity of tickets by hoarding ticket inventory, it would be desirable to prevent this practice. To the extent that ticket resellers provide a useful economic service by ensuring that tickets are allocated to their highest valuing user, it would be desirable to provide event organizers with a mechanism to recoup a fair share of the additional value attaching to the tickets after they leave the box office, since it is the demand for the performance that generates this excess value, and not necessarily the ticket resellers.
With widespread availability of high quality color copiers, another ticket-related problem is introduced. There is a great danger that a ticket bought from a party other than the official box office or authorized ticketing agency will be a forgery. Recently, in professional football stadiums, persons arriving for a game have discovered that numerous other people have tickets for the same seats, due to sales of multiple ticket copies by forgers.
Previous efforts to develop effective systems for controlling access to transportation and financial accounts have not provided a solution for these problems. U.S. Pat. No. 5,485,520 to Chaum et al. shows a system that collects highway tolls from moving vehicles without requiring them to stop. This is accomplished, however, by using an in-vehicle transmitting unit (an artifact) to identify the vehicle, then billing the user's credit card or other account for tolls incurred.
Other prior systems use biometrics to provide identification for secured access to areas and financial transactions. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,615,277 and 5,613,012 to Hoffinan et al. control access to computer systems and financial accounts using biometric identification procedures. U.S. Pat. No. 5,572,596 to Wildes et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,280,527 to Gullman et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,177,342 to Adams, U.S. Pat. No. 5,336,870 to Hughes, U.S. Pat. No. 5,471,203 to Sasaki, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,210,899 to Swonger et al. similarly show systems using biometrics for identification purposes. However, none of these prior systems provide an access control and billing system that is particularly adapted to operate in a transit and event environment.
The transit access and ticketing issues noted above have traditionally been viewed as separate problems. There has been no effective system in either realm which would allow a person to register at the time of a ticket or fare purchase, and then obtain later delivery of the purchased service (e.g. access to a transit system or entry to an event) without carrying an artifact. Thus, the inventor believes there is a need for an improved system and method for registration and delivery of these transportation and event access services.